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Twitter Style Book Review Lesson

Here's an idea for a fun tech-social-media infused creative writing lesson and one I'll be sure to mention when I'm guest hosting the Twitter #EngChat eventMay 23rd at 7pm EST. The topic will be The Power of the Product and I'll be hosting with amazing MHMS co-worker Elizabeth Singleton (@emsingleton). This conversation will consist of viable, creative, meaningful, and daring products that demonstrate information mastery, go beyond the regular research report and span the digital divide.On this second blog posting in one day (assuredly a first!) I must give a very special thank you to reading specialist & MHMS co-worker Deb Burkey! You inspired & gave me this idea during our conversation the other day talking about the Fakebook lesson. YAY, you rock! The text is written as directions to students.

Writing a short, concise, quality book review is a challenge! Using the Twitter style, create a short book review that hints at the story, not give TOO much away - add a shortened link to the Amazon book listing (for more information, buying, and expanded book reviews) and your emotion rating.=DIf you cannot say something in 140 characters or less, then it is not worth saying. Paring a review down to 140 characters and a rating really forces reviewers to get to the essential appeal or flaw of the work being reviewed --AND it's a challenge!Here are some examples:Full lesson on our MHMS Learning WikipageHow to:To do this activity, go to our learning wiki by typing in the Google top right search box "mhms learning" we're the first hit...go to the wikipage for this lesson & get ready to have more than one window or tab open to do this. If you like multitasking, then this is the lesson for you!

1. Choose a YA book to review *you have read* (non-negotiable!)2. Go to Amazon Books and search for your book, SAVE the URL3. Shorten the Amazon URL using Bit.ly! Copy that URL4. Go to Character Creator & Paste the shortened URL5. Add your review Emoticon at the very end.In keeping with SMS Social Media culture, the four ratings are emoticons:=D for Squee! I LOVED it!=) for It was good - not Great!=| for Meh...I guess it was just OK.=( GAH! Did NOT like it a bit!

6. Write your Review in FRONT OF the URL & Emoticon

Cut out words that are unnecessary - re-word, re-think, re-write, re-mix, & be creative! Hints: use "&" rather than the word AND, dashes as breaks, but try NOT to write in leet speak. Like "OMG, UR going to h8 this book" There are times for that kind of informal text - but not for this activity :-O

If you want to post these Tweet reviews to your school Twitter account you can also add the hashtag #booktweet before the emoticon review so that they can be searched (this is optional since Twitter is blocked by HCPSS :-(

Did you do all that and you're under 140 characters? AWEsome!

7. CUT and PASTE your Tweet review from the Character Counter and put into a Word document, save it as your first initial & last name + bookreview EX. "GJonesBookReview" Don't forget to add your name on the top of the word doc and save to your documents folder &if instructed to do so, turn this into your teacher via the Hand In folder (MHMS only)

ALTERNATIVE Google Form Submission idea: Create a Google form & embed in wikipage for kids to submit their Twitter Style Book Reviews - share that Google doc with all your teachers who are working with this lesson!

Gwyneth, this is dangerously close to being relevant to the world in which your students live and hope to work. Learning to write concisely? To convey meaningful thoughts without losing your audience? Sure, that's important to every day life and actually a critical skill for many employers. But if they instead spend this time memorizing state capitals, it will really come in handy if they ever find themselves on Jeopardy and find that's a category.

----Collette, just left a comment on your blog, but yes! I'd be tickled & flattered to be included in your awesome #ISTE11 poster session! And as a member of the ISTE board it will be both my duty & pleasure to come by and thank you for your hard work at ISTE! Double win! Cheers!~Gwyneth

I love this idea and have been holding onto it for a long time to use in my library. Can you tell me how you made the "Twitter Style Book Reviews" picture at the top of you post so that I can make one for my library webpage?

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Gwyneth is a blogger, a Tweeter, a Future Ready International Keynote EdTech & Librarian speaker, a trope and meme archivist, creator of content, a citizen of advocacy, and a resident of social media.
Ms. Jones is a Google Certified Innovator & Ambassador, a PBS / MPT American Graduate Champion,of Change, PBS, NTTI, & MPT Teacher of the Year (2001), and the author of the award winning The Daring Librarian blog.
In recognition of being a change agent in her field, Ms. Jones was named an Innovator and one of 50 international Movers & Shakers 2011 by Library Journal Magazine and also on of 50 Librarians to Follow on Instagram by Scholastic Education. She has also been named a Gale/Cengage New Leader, and the Best of the Best and a Visionary Leader by Teacher Librarian Magazine.
As a leader of Education Technology, Ms. Jones was honored to have been elected twice to the ISTE Board of Directors representing all PK-12 educators and school librarians. Her work & writings have been featured in the New York Times, NEA Today Magazine, Information Today Magazine, The Washington Post, and the Huffington Post. Admittedly, she’s also a goofball, a geek, and ridiculously humble.

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The views expressed on these pages are mine alone and not those of my employer. I also reserve the right to misspell words, make wild generalizations, have unfounded opinions, and be snarky. Snarky is not a crime.

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